The Logitech Wireless Touch Keyboard K400r ($39.99) is designed for folks who want to control a living-room PC that's connected to a large-screen display or TV, while kicking back on a sofa or sitting across the room. The keyboard is a good choice if you want to stream music, as many of the function buttons are programmed for that purpose. Not only is the K400r wireless, it also incorporates a touchpad with mouse buttons so you don't have to futz with a physical mouse on any convenient surface.

Features
The K400r is quite thin, measuring 0.4 by 14 by 5.5 inches (HWD). It's compatible with Windows versions going back to XP, though it's optimized for Windows 8. This model supports more gestures than its predecessor, the Logitech Wireless Touch Keyboard K400. Our review unit was white, but the keyboard also comes in black.

The keys have chiclet-style caps, although the K400r's keys are close together, with no frame to separate them, unlike in a typical chiclet-style keyboard. The keyboard is relatively cramped, though not oppressively so. Its letter and number keys are a bit closer together than wireless keyboards, such as the Logitech TK820 Wireless All-in-One Keyboard, and the Logitech Washable Keyboard K310. Some of the keys, most notably Enter, Backspace, Shift, and Backslash, are narrower than on the other keyboards.

To the right of the keyboard is the touchpad, which, at 3 by 1.8 inches (WD), is smaller than the touchpads on most consumer laptops. It's large enough to be useful, though there were times, when performing one gesture or another, that I found myself wishing for a bit more swiping space. Below the pad are the left and right mouse buttons; the left button, which generally gets the most use, is slightly longer than the right one.

Wireless Connectivity
This keyboard includes a wireless receiver that plugs into a computer's USB port and allows a direct connection with the K400r, as well as other compatible devices. The dongle can be stashed in the keyboard's battery compartment, located underneath the keyboard, when not in use, and the K400r comes with two pre-installed AA batteries. The battery compartment also acts as a riser, tilting the keyboard slightly forward when it's on a flat surface. There's an on/off switch, though it lacks an indicator light to let you know when it's on. The keys are not backlit, so they could be hard to read in a darkened room.

Also included is a wireless extender, which probably won't be necessary, unless you're far, far away from the computer and using a really big screen. In my testing, just using just the standard dongle, the range was more than 60 feet, about double the 33-foot range claimed by Logitech. The K400r uses Logitech's Unifying wireless technology, which operates on the 2.4 GHz band, and can support up to six compatible Logitech devices (primarily mice, keyboards, and touchpads). Like most wireless keyboards, the Unifying dongle occupies a USB port. Only Bluetooth keyboards, such as the Microsoft Sculpt, don't use a dongle.

Installation, Performance, and Conclusions
Installing the K400r is simply a matter of plugging the dongle into an available USB port. It will automatically install the software, and then you're ready to go. I tested it on an all-in-one PC, as well as a laptop, both running Windows 8.1, and a Windows 7 laptop.

At the keyboard's top left are five hotkeys. The left-most button has a mouse icon and works as a left mouse button, though I was more inclined to use the much larger left mouse button with the touchpad. The next button, with a musical-note icon, launches Windows Media Player.

Home, with its house icon, takes you to the start page of your default browser. Lock Computer, with a icon showing a lock over the letters PC, logs you out, while the final hotkey. Sleep, with an on-off button over "PC," puts your computer to sleep.

Many of the function keys (F1 through F12) are programmed for media-friendly tasks. They each have icons; a key legend in the Quick-Start guide names them as well. Show Desktop is self-explanatory. Switch Applications, which is supposed to switch from one open app to another, didn't work on any of the computers I tried it on. Search, Share, Devices, and Settings all call up the pages of the same names in Windows 8. In Windows 7, Search takes you to your browser's search bar, while Share, Devices, and Settings did nothing. (You can always reprogram function keys with the free SetPoint software that Logitech offers for all Windows versions going back to Win 98.) The remaining function keys all pertain to music: Previous Track, Play/Pause, Next Track, Mute, Volume Down, and Volume Up.

The touchpad also supports gestures, and it worked for functions such as Left-Click, Right-Click, Move the Cursor, Zoom, Scroll, and Show Charm Bar.

I'd describe my typing and touchpad experience using the K400r as solid, if unspectacular. The keyboard is a little cramped, and the keys feel loose, but typing is reasonably smooth. The touchpad, although small, is nice to have. Most of the function keys worked as billed.

The Logitech K400r is a good choice as an inexpensive wireless keyboard. It has a built-in touchpad, something that the Microsoft Sculpt Mobile Keyboard, the Logitech Washable Keyboard K310, and the Verbatim Mini Wireless SlimBoard Keyboard & Mouse all lack, though the Verbatim keyboard has a physical mouse. Its keys are more closely spaced than those of the Logitech TK820 Wireless All-in-One; typing wasn't as smooth as on that model, and the K400r's touchpad is much smaller. The Logitech Wireless Touch Keyboard K400r provides a good low-priced alternative that should be more than enough if you want to control your living-room PC and stream music from afar.

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As Analyst for printers, scanners, and projectors, Tony Hoffman tests and reviews these products and provides news coverage for these categories. Tony has worked at PC Magazine since 2004, first as a Staff Editor, then as Reviews Editor, and more recently as Managing Editor for the printers, scanners, and projectors team.
In addition to editing, Tony has written articles on digital photography and reviews of digital cameras, PCs, and iPhone apps
Prior to joining the PCMag team, Tony worked for 17 years in magazine and journal...
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